AAP Rolling News Bulletin for June 21 at 1930
Economy Preview (CANBERRA)
Oil and dairy prices will shed light on Australia's inflation fight in a big week for domestic economic data.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures are expected on Wednesday to show headline and underlying inflation edged up in May as the Middle East conflict continued to impact supply chains across the economy.
Importantly, it will reveal how quickly and widely the second-round impacts of higher oil, gas and fertiliser prices were being passed on by businesses.
One item to watch will be milk.
Perishable goods tend to be first to record price increases and the prices of home-brand milk increased in very late April, said ANZ economists Madeline Dunk and Adam Boyton.
"We expect prices to have been a little higher than usual in some of the fresh food expenditure classes, such as milk, fruits and vegetables," the duo said in a research note.
Mideast (CAIRO)
Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed at least nine people, including a child and a journalist from Al Jazeera, in the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli airstrike killed four Palestinians, including two women and a child, in an apartment building in Gaza City, health officials said.
The attack on the building in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City on Saturday destroyed the apartment and wounded several other people, medics said.
The Israeli military said it struck a militant, without elaborating.
In another incident, Israeli forces shot and killed a woman in Beit Lahiya town further north, medics said.
An Israeli airstrike killed at least one person and wounded eight others in Khan Younis, south of the enclave.
Later on Saturday, an Israeli airstrike killed three people, medics said, including Ahmed Wishah, a journalist working for Al Jazeera, in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
UK Starmer (LONDON)
British Prime Minster Keir Starmer is expected to resign and set out a timetable for his departure, the Observer newspaper reports.
The newspaper said Starmer would quit on Monday after reaching the conclusion that his position was no longer tenable after speaking to cabinet minister, advisers, donors and trade union leaders.
Starmer was discussing the matter with his wife Victoria at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision, but that senior Labour figures expected a clear statement on his future as early as Monday, the report said.
Ukraine (KYIV)
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukrainian drones have struck an oil refinery in Russia's Tyumen Region in western Siberia, more than 2000km from Ukraine.
He also said Ukraine had developed new long-range drones capable of operating over more than 3000km.
Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy offered thanks to the Ukrainian military's special operations which "have reached Tyumen Region in Russia, including an oil refining facility. More than 2000km from our state border. This is effective work."
Ukraine's military has been engaged for months in a campaign of medium and long-range strikes on Russian targets, focusing mainly on the oil industry, to hinder Russia's capability in funding the war.
The governor of Tyumen Region, Alexander Moor, earlier said that Russian air defences repelled a drone attack on the oil refinery.
Fuel (MELBOURNE)
Cost relief at the bowser has been extended for another month, although the savings won't be as substantial.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a limited extension of the fuel excise, making petrol and diesel 16 cents per litre cheaper than the full price in July.
The current saving is 32 cents a litre after it was cut three months ago, following the outbreak of war in the Middle East and ensuing strangulation of global oil supplies.
That discount is scheduled to expire on June 30, by which time it will have cost the federal budget an estimated $2.9 billion in foregone revenue.
"(The) decision recognises that despite the welcome and substantial drop in the price of petrol recently, we know people are still under pressure," Mr Albanese said.
Flu (SYDNEY)
Australia has been urged to stick to its guns and resist panic as a deadly avian disease arrives on the mainland.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected on mainland Australia for the first time, with a sick brown skua found on a remote beach near Esperance, about 700km southeast of Perth, confirmed to be carrying the disease.
The discovery has fuelled fears among scientists, conservationists and agricultural groups, who point to mass mortality events and species-level population reductions in overseas outbreaks.
"It's a really serious concern," UNSW Centre for Ecosystem Science ecologist Simon Gorta told AAP.
"But it's important to remain calm about this.
"There are absolutely measures in place to deal with this as best as we can, we've just got to stick to our guns."
Iran (ZURICH)
US Vice President JD Vance says he expects to go to Switzerland soon for talks with Iran even as the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz shut, alleging US and Israeli truce violations.
The move by the hardline IRGC appeared to raise the stakes ahead of the talks that Pakistani officials said will begin on Sunday as both sides seek to advance the interim deal signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to end their almost four-month war.
The IRGC warned ships not to approach the waterway, a vital conduit for global oil and gas supplies, citing what it called Israeli "crimes" in Lebanon and a US violation of commitments to establish a ceasefire.
BudgetQLD (BRISBANE)
A state premier and treasurer are turning up the heat on energy retailers, threatening to "name and shame" companies that fail to pass on electricity savings.
The comments come in the run-up to Queensland's state budget, to be handed down by Treasurer David Janetzki on Tuesday.
Premier David Crisafulli warned energy retailers would be given "a very small window" to pass on savings to consumers.
"Watch out, because you're going to be named and shamed, and we've many levers at our disposal," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.
"Watch this space on Tuesday if it doesn't start happening."
Mr Janetzki repeated the threat, saying the government-owned Ergon Energy, which services regional Queensland, had been directed to pass on savings in full.
In finance ...
Super (SYDNEY)
Superannuation is set for its most significant change in decades but a week ahead of implementation, many businesses - and potentially the clearance system itself - aren't ready.
From July 1, employee superannuation contributions must land in members' accounts within seven days of payday instead of every quarter.
Australian Tax Office data suggests as many as two in five businesses already pay contributions more often than quarterly.
For Waterfalls Cafe and Gallery owner Rachel Power in Tasmania's Mt Field National Park, the vagaries of regional tourism pushed her towards early payments well ahead of schedule.
"We've actually been paying super weekly for probably a year or two now, only because for cash flow we're very seasonal here," Ms Power told AAP.
"The market forces are pretty insane in Tasmania."
In entertainment ...
Stewart (LONDON)
Sir Rod Stewart paused a concert to use an oxygen tank after nearly fainting onstage.
The Maggie May singer - who cancelled a number of concerts earlier this month due to health reasons - appeared unwell and was doubled over in pain while performing at the Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah, on Friday.
Video footage shared by TMZ showed the 81-year-old star leaning on a piano and grabbing other parts of the set for support during Young Turks before staff came out with an oxygen tank.
Stewart later told the crowd he had almost fainted and made a few jokes, before finishing the show sitting in a chair.
The Hot Legs hitmaker previously cancelled his May 29 and 30 The Encore Shows residency gigs at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas at the last minute after a vocal rest order from doctors.
ODonnell (LONDON)
Rosie O'Donnell will guest host one week's worth of Jimmy Kimmel Live! episodes from August 17.
The 64-year-old comedian joins a group of stars filling in for the 58-year-old host as he will be "taking the next two months off - this time voluntarily" - referencing when ABC pulled the show off the air for six days in September 2025.
During Kimmel's montage on Thursday's episode of the ABC talk show, he said: "We have assembled a potent group of hosts to fill in for me, beginning with Tiffany Haddish, Colman Domingo, Ike Barinholtz, Anthony Anderson, Jelly Roll."
The comedian then gave a shoutout to O'Donnell, adding: "And, as a special treat for our commander-in-chief, I asked one of his all-time favourites, Rosie O'Donnell, to be here to keep the hits coming."
In sport ...
AFL Saints (MELBOURNE)
St Kilda's 22-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium has been compounded by injuries to key duo Jack Sinclair and Tom De Koning.
Smashed in their last three outings against the Bulldogs, the Saints were forced to deal with adversity from the start on Sunday when Sinclair went down in the first quarter and De Koning in the second.
St Kilda battled on bravely and stayed in the contest until late but the Bulldogs' early buffer was enough as they secured a crucial win, 12.11 (83) to 8.13 (61).
St Kilda insisted Sinclair hurt his calf, but they would have serious concerns over an achilles injury after they put his foot in a moon boot when he hobbled from the field in pain.
Net Thunderbirds (PERTH)
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have secured their spot in the Super Netball grand final after overcoming a Lily Graham Super Shot blitz to post a 58-44 win over the Melbourne Vixens.
The Thunderbirds blew Sunday's major semi-final apart at the start of the third quarter, unleashing a 13-4 run to turn a two-goal lead into an 11-goal buffer in front of a bustling home crowd at Adelaide 36ers Arena.
But little-known Vixens goal shooter Graham brought the defending champions back into the contest, nailing her first four Super Shots to close the margin back to five goals by three-quarter time, and four goals at the start of the fourth.
Adelaide regained their composure from there, with the reliability of star South African goal shooter Elmere van der Berg (51 goals from 56 attempts) leading the minor premiers to their ninth consecutive win.
Ends Bulletin
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